Cantareira Kept Under Restriction at 20.18% as São Paulo Tightens January Water Rules

Overview

• Brazil's ANA and São Paulo's SP-Águas said Cantareira closed December at 20.18% usable volume and will operate in Faixa 4 (Restriction) from January 1.
• Crossing below 20% would shift operations to Faixa 5 (Special), so agencies urged Sabesp to curb demand and asked residents to conserve water.
• Sabesp is authorized to withdraw up to 23 m³/s from Cantareira in January and may supplement supply with water transferred from the Paraíba do Sul via the Jaguari hydropower reservoir.
• Cemaden reported the broader Integrated Metropolitan System at 26.1% on December 30, the lowest December level since 2014–2015, driven by a roughly 113.7 mm rainfall deficit and more than 50 rainless days.
• G1 data show Sabesp’s 2025 withdrawals averaged 71,000 liters per second, a company record, as the region ended the year with reservoirs at about 26% capacity.